Here’s a clever idea we came across and wanted to share.  It is a smart walking stick that can track the movements of a person with dementia at home. The device has been created by an industrial design student who is in his final year at Loughborough University. James Bayliss has designed ‘AIDE’ to help “extend the period of independence people with dementia have in their own home."

GPS technology and a heart rate monitor in the walking stick allows an individual with dementia to be tracked and monitored in their home.

James said: Behaviour mapping is also possible, with everyday routines captured "without doing invasive surveillance on someone, you can build up an understanding of how they're moving about their house". The walking stick comes with Bluetooth beacons that can be placed around the person's home and a wall charger. As the person moves around their house with the walking stick, the stick communicates data to the beacons and this data creates a ‘behaviour map’ unique to the person. 

AIDE can identify unusual behaviour – for example, if a person is in the bathroom for much longer than usual, or if the stick moves in a certain manner, which may suggest a fall and can create an alert via an app. 

James aims to bring a functioning prototype and app to the market to support people with dementia.